title: Distribution and source apportionments of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in mariculture sediments from the Pearl River Delta, South China.
abstract: Surface and core sediments collected from six mariculture farms in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) were analyzed to evaluate contamination levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The ∑PCBs (37 congeners) concentrations ranged from 5.10 to 11.0 ng g(-1) (mean 7.96 ng g(-1)) in surface and 3.19 to 22.1 ng g(-1) (mean 7.75 ng g(-1)) in core sediments, respectively. The concentrations were significantly higher than that measured in the sediments of their corresponding reference sites, whereby the average enrichment percentages were 62.0% and 42.7% in surface and core sediments, respectively. Significant correlations (R2=0.77, p<0.05) of PCB homologue group proportions between fish feeds and surface mariculture sediments suggested that fish feed input was probably the main source for the enrichment of PCBs. Due to the fact that PCBs could be transferred along food chains, PCB contamination in fish feeds and mariculture sediments should not be overlooked.
authors.affiliation: Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences, and Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, PR China.
authors.forename: Hong-sheng
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Ho-man
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Anna Oi Wah
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Giesy
authors.forename: Chris K C
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Ming-Hung
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D017756:Aquaculture; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls